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A reader who fractured his ankle and broke his tibia and fibula just above the ankle last year has been told by his surgeon, that along with physiotherapy, he should start exercising and building up leg strength. Where should he start?

There’s no black-and-white answer or one answer that fits all, says personal trainer Kevin Murray, an expert in corrective exercise for pain relief and an instructor with the NAIT personal training program. No two people are injured the same way so giving them all the exact same program doesn’t make any sense, he explains.

However, one thing’s for certain, “there’s no such thing, in my world, as a minor ankle sprain or a minor injury. You are a direct representation of every single thing your body has been through.

“If your foot has been immobile for some time, (after the cast or case comes off) you don’t go back to walking the way you did before you were injured, you continue to walk the way you did when your foot was in a case.”

A great way to strengthen and re-educate the muscles in the proper mechanics or workings of the foot and ankle is an exercise Murray calls Ankle Rocking on a Stability Ball.

“It’s designed to have the talus, the ankle bone that sits between the tibia (on the inside of the leg) and fibula (on the outside of the leg), at the bottom end of the two bones, move properly during the “loading” phase of the foot (when the foot first hits the ground when walking).”

Sit on a stability ball with both feet flat on the ground. Your right leg should be bent at a 90-degree angle and centred in front of the ball with the heel and lower calf up against it. The left or stabilizing leg should be slightly forward and bent at a 45-degree angle. Before beginning this exercise, lift the arch of your right foot by rotating the hip slightly outward/laterally. Now, keep your feet in place but rock the stability ball forward by shifting your weight forward and moving the tibia (shin bone) and knee over the toes.

(“It’s a big myth that you should never let your bent knee translate beyond your toes,” Murray says. “It is completely OK … unless (the movement) is being repeated too much, too fast or too soon, then it can become an issue.”)

This should gradually rotate the tibia and ankle inward, toward the ground, causing the arch of your foot to collapse inward. Rock backward to the starting position and repeat. Do two sets of 15 repetitions.

Do you have a question about fitness? Want to know how to improve your workout? Send queries to livingwell@edmontonjournal.com with “fittip” in the subject line.

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